What Could've Happened
by RTNightmare
Summary: A shortened "WHAT IF" story about Buck if things had happened somewhat differently in his childhood and life. Includes romance, adventure, craziness, etc! Rated T for later! Will Rewrite/Make Longer soon! Buck, Ice Age - Blue Sky Studios; OCs - Jinney
1. Chapter 1

**What Could've Happened**

**The Ice Age Versions**

**By Jinney**

(Disclaimers: I do not own Ice Age or Buck! Only his siblings, Rachel, the OCs, and this story are mine! Story Idea Inspired by IceAgeLover4Ever on deviantART! Dedicated to my fellow Ice Age/Buck Loving Fans! Okay! Read on!)

(1)

Buck stayed alert as he walked from his family's home in the camping area to a small stream for a drink. He was thirstier than ever and needed the drink desperately. He sighed blissfully as he slurped up the water with his tongue. Little did he know that there was someone who had followed him, which was probably the reason why he had been so alert upon coming here.

Buck smiled, collapsing on his stomach, on the ground beside the stream. With a single finger, he began playing with the water, stirring it and slashing around while watching it flow away, making room for more untouched water.

Buck smiled wider, his two lower fangs jutting out slightly. He always thought having fun alone like this was better than doing something with someone else…they always wanted to do other stuff. They didn't care about his opinion. Therefore he spent most of his time alone.

But the ten-year-old weasel wasn't alone for long, and he yelped as a new form collapsed next to him. He jumped up quickly, ready to pounce on whoever had followed him here. But what he saw wasn't what he was expecting.

"Hi!" It was a girl. But Buck couldn't tell what she was. Was she a weasel or a ferret? He couldn't tell from her patterns and also because of her weird attire. She was wearing a blue weird chest piece with a strap that went around her neck, blue trousers, blue cuffs on her feet and wrists, a blue necklace, and silver ring.

Buck relaxed a little, not sure if she was dangerous or not. "Hi?" She smiled, "Hullo!" He just stared for several moments. The girl only smiled, lying there on her stomach, her elbows holding her head from the ground. Buck didn't know what to say. This girl was kind of odd as she kept staring in a happy way at him. Buck tried to think of what to say, but couldn't find his words. Thankfully, the girl helped.

"Hi! I'm Rachel!" She said as she got up. "I'm a fweaset and stuff…you know, a ferret-weasel mix! I think that's cool! What about you? What do you think is cool? What's your name? How old are you? I'm eight and a half! Hey! You wanna be friends!?" Buck's ears drooped and he glanced around for something to help him.

The girl named Rachel giggled, "Your expression is so hilarious! You should see yourself!" Buck glared at that comment, "Look! I don' have many friends…I don' want friends and I don' need 'em! So please stopping talkin' so much an' go away!" He didn't mean to say it so harshly, but it came across that way.

Rachel's smile vanished as she turned. "Fine…I just thought that I would try out my mom's method and try to make friends…I-I just came here because there was a disaster in my old home…I'm no good at transitioning, so this is not easy! But if you insist!"

Buck didn't know what to say. He was still angry, yet he also felt pity for this girl. It hurt him more when the girl walked away. He sighed as the depression consumed him. "Well…there goes a chance fer friendship…" He shook his head, staring into the small stream. He felt his ears drooped as he placed his hand on his chest.

_Why do I feel this way?_


	2. Chapter 2

**What Could've Happened**

**The Ice Age Versions**

**By Jinney**

(Disclaimers: I do not own Ice Age or Buck! Only his siblings, Rachel, and this story are mine! Story Idea Inspired by IceAgeLover4Ever on deviantART! Dedicated to my fellow Ice Age/Buck Loving Fans! Okay! Read on!)

(1)

Buck stayed alert as he walked from his family's home in the camping area to a small stream for a drink. He was thirstier than ever and needed the drink desperately. He sighed blissfully as he slurped up the water with his tongue. Little did he know that there was someone who had followed him, which was probably the reason why he had been so alert upon coming here.

Buck smiled, collapsing on his stomach, on the ground beside the stream. With a single finger, he began playing with the water, stirring it and slashing around while watching it flow away, making room for more untouched water.

Buck smiled wider, his two lower fangs jutting out slightly. He always thought having fun alone like this was better than doing something with someone else…they always wanted to do other stuff. They didn't care about his opinion. Therefore he spent most of his time alone.

But the ten-year-old weasel wasn't alone for long, and he yelped as a new form collapsed next to him. He jumped up quickly, ready to pounce on whoever had followed him here. But what he saw wasn't what he was expecting.

"Hi!" It was a girl. But Buck couldn't tell what she was. Was she a weasel or a ferret? He couldn't tell from her patterns and also because of her weird attire. She was wearing a blue weird chest piece with a strap that went around her neck, blue trousers, blue cuffs on her feet and wrists, a blue necklace, and silver ring.

Buck relaxed a little, not sure if she was dangerous or not. "Hi?" She smiled, "Hullo!" He just stared for several moments. The girl only smiled, lying there on her stomach, her elbows holding her head from the ground. Buck didn't know what to say. This girl was kind of odd as she kept staring in a happy way at him. Buck tried to think of what to say, but couldn't find his words. Thankfully, the girl helped.

"Hi! I'm Rachel!" She said as she got up. "I'm a fweaset and stuff…you know, a ferret-weasel mix! I think that's cool! What about you? What do you think is cool? What's your name? How old are you? I'm eight and a half! Hey! You wanna be friends!?" Buck's ears drooped and he glanced around for something to help him.

The girl named Rachel giggled, "Your expression is so hilarious! You should see yourself!" Buck glared at that comment, "Look! I don' have many friends…I don' want friends and I don' need 'em! So please stopping talkin' so much an' go away!" He didn't mean to say it so harshly, but it came across that way.

Rachel's smile vanished as she turned. "Fine…I just thought that I would try out my mom's method and try to make friends…I-I just came here because there was a disaster in my old home…I'm no good at transitioning, so this is not easy! But if you insist!"

Buck didn't know what to say. He was still angry, yet he also felt pity for this girl. It hurt him more when the girl walked away. He sighed as the depression consumed him. "Well…there goes a chance fer friendship…" He shook his head, staring into the small stream. He felt his ears drooped as he placed his hand on his chest.

_Why do I feel this way?_

**What Could've Happened**

**The Ice Age Versions**

**By Jinney**

(Disclaimers: I do not own Ice Age or Buck! Only his siblings, Rachel, and this story are mine! Story Idea Inspired by IceAgeLover4Ever on deviantART! Dedicated to my fellow Ice Age/Buck Loving Fans! Okay! Read on!)

(2)

Rachel felt horrible. She had tried to make a friend in a new place, in which she couldn't find a true home. She missed her old home so badly, but an avalanche had wiped it out, separating her from her friends and some family. She didn't even know if anyone who she hadn't seen since then were still alive. She could only hope…

"Hey, what's wrong?" The new voice made Rachel look up. He was a Black Bear about her age whom she had seen earlier with a bunch of other guys. She was sure that he was their leader because of his size and his dominant behavior over all of the others. He looked rather scary, but maybe she could find a friend in him.

"H-hi! Oh! I'm fine…just…nothing! I'm fine!" She smiled as best she could, but it didn't fool the bear. He laughed, "Ha! You must be new around here!" Rachel nodded. He nodded back, "The name's Wild! I'm a bear, as you can see, and am the leader of The Breakers!" _Knew he was a leader of a gang…_ Was the first thing that came to Rachel's mind as she stared up at Wild. He was smiling.

"Now then…what's your name?" Wild asked. "Rachel, and I'm a fweaset, ferret-weasel mix!" She answered. He smirked, "Cool! Very cool! So what made you upset? I'll beat the crap out of anyone who hurts you! How about that!?" Rachel cringed. "No…it's fine! I don't want to be the cause of a fight!"

He smiled in a sympathetic yet still smirking way, "That's real nice of you! You are truly a sweetheart!" Rachel looked up in shock. _Is he actually…?_ But her thoughts were interrupted by Wild's crazy laugh. It was a short laugh, but a scary one. He smirked, "Y'know, I like you! I'm gonna make you my girl!"

Rachel blinked. _What!?_ "C'mon!" He said, resting his arm on her shoulder. "Let's go meet my pals! I'll introduce ya!" Rachel was scared about the idea, but was too afraid of Wild to protest. So the two walked North, away from the tree and green landscape and into a rocky one.

"Okay! Here we are!" Wild announced and pushed Rachel down into a dark hole in the rocks. Rachel screamed as she slid speedily down the slide of rock down into the dark. The darkness seemed to go on forever that is until~ SMASH! "OW!" Rachel cried out…she had banged hard into something. She rubbed her head where she had hit it and then looked up and gasped.

"Oh! I'm so sorry! I didn't mean–" She tried to speak, but two hands grabbed her throat. She squeaked, unable to breathe properly. Then the hand released her as Wild punched the being in which the hand belonged to away. "What the hell are you doing, Lance!" The other guy made a noise that sounded like disgust and then said, "That freak bumped into me! Why is she even here?"

Rachel listened carefully as she inched towards the exit of the underground hideout. "She's my girl now…I claimed her and you are going to respect that! Now don't be an idiot about it or else you'll have to deal with me!" Lance waved it off, "Whatever dude!" Wild nodded and turned to Rachel, but she was already gone – she had climbed as fast she could up the tunnel.

"Rachel! What the hell are you doing!?" Wild called up to the terrified fweaset. But she kept going until she reached the top…and it wasn't too far away. Once she was out, even if she was tired, she ran. She only wanted to get away from those horrible monsters. Rachel could never be a gang leader's girl…why would she want it? It made her sick and scared!

Rachel kept running up until the tears clouded her vision and she banged into something else. "Huh!?" She couldn't see who it was, but the person was looking at her with a confused expression. She wiped her eyes as best she could and then looked again…and gasped.


	3. Chapter 3

What Could've Happened

**The Ice Age Versions**

**By Jinney**

(Disclaimers: I do not own Ice Age or Buck! Only his siblings, Rachel, the OCs, and this story are mine! Story Idea Inspired by IceAgeLover4Ever on deviantART! Dedicated to my fellow Ice Age/Buck Loving Fans! Okay! Read on!)

(3)

Rachel gasped as she looked into the same blue eyes she had looked into before when she went to seek a friend. "You!" He nodded, "I'm Buck…" She nodded back, "Nice name…" He smiled and then looked up as others approached. Rachel looked to where he was looking, gasped, and then hid behind Buck as Wild and his gang drew closer.

"Baby! Why are you hiding?" Wild asked in a fake concerned voice. The two – both Rachel and Buck – could hear the fakeness of it. Rachel's ears lowered as Wild came closer. But Buck took a fighting stance, surprising everyone. "Stay away from 'er!" Buck shouted.

Wild was the first one to laugh, and then the rest of the gang, both the gang members and their females, joined in. Wild stepped up, "You really think you can beat me up?" Buck grabbed a stick off the ground and held it back, ready to strike. "I can try!" Buck shouted. Wild laughed and charged at him, missing him with his claws by a long shot. But it wasn't Buck whom Wild was after…

"Ahhhh! LET ME GO!" Rachel cried out as Wild grabbed her, picking her up and carrying her away. Buck gasped and ran at Wild. But deep down…he wondered why he even cared! Buck kept running and finally jumped, swinging the stick hard, hitting Wild hard on the side of the head, knocking him down and releasing Rachel.

"Rachel! Get outta here!" The fweaset nodded and sprinted away as Wild got up. "Oh you're gonna pay for it now!" Buck glared hard as he formed a plan in his head. Using what he had and what he was, he would use his strengths and strategy to get the better of Wild. He would mostly defend and attack when necessary…

Wild charged and missed as Buck went side-to-side, up in the air, underneath, and around the bear. Wild growled as he tried everything he could to get Buck down. But Buck was too quick. And at one point, Buck seemed to have disappeared. "That's it! Where'd you go, ya little idiot?"

There came a chuckle, "Ya mean ya can't find me!" There was a pause before, " HERE I AM!" And Wild was on the ground again as Buck smashed against his stomach. But this time, Wild didn't get up. He was panting and sweating under his fur. Buck smirked, "Next time…don' mess with me!" Wild growled, getting up faster than Buck thought he could, and punching him in the jaw.

Buck grunted as he slammed backwards in the air and hit the ground hard. He was nearly unconscious as he watched Wild get closer and closer, ready to pounce on him. But then, out of the blue, a certain fweaset smash Wild in the side and away from Buck. "You leave him alone!" Rachel shouted.

Everyone stared at her, including Buck, whose heart seemed to grow ten times bigger after that moment. Rachel glared hard at Wild. "I was afraid before to reject you, but now I don't care…you're just another bully! A creepy weirdo in a stupid group who acts all tough just to bring people down! Well I'm not afraid anymore! I'll take all of you down if I have to, to keep Buck and me safe!"

Rachel turned to the stunned Buck. "We make a great team…and I hope that means that we can be friends…" He only nodded, cringing when his messed-up jaw began to hurt. Rachel came over and held out her hand, "Come on! Let's get you some help!" Buck took her hand and she helped him up and led him away. No one stopped them and Rachel and Buck never let go of the other's hand…


	4. Chapter 4

What Could've Happened

**The Ice Age Versions**

**By Jinney**

(Disclaimers: I do not own Ice Age or Buck! Only his siblings, Rachel, the OCs, and this story are mine! Story Idea Inspired by IceAgeLover4Ever on deviantART! Dedicated to my fellow Ice Age/Buck Loving Fans! Okay! Read on!)

(4)

"Okay…looks like this will be a problem!" Buck stared at Rachel as she examined his jaw. "Whuh duh yuh meang!" He cringed a little, making Rachel sigh and giggle a little. "It'll be hard to talk for a while…it'll heal, but it'll be crooked from now on!" He sighed and cringed again, holding his cheek where it hurt on the other side of his skin.

Rachel placed a hand softly on his other cheek, massaging the bone area gently. And with the other hand, she removed his hand and massaged that area too. He didn't object…it felt nice! But his heart beat faster and his face felt hot under his fur.

Rachel sighed, "You were so brave, Buck. I really don't know how to thank you…" She smiled and Buck smiled back, ignoring the pain it caused. Rachel noticed though and smiled sympathetically. "It'll be better soon!" He nodded. It was then that two younger weasels, a male and female, walked in and gasped upon seeing Buck and an unfamiliar female with him.

"Buck! Who's this?" The female asked. Buck tried to speak, but it hurt too much so Rachel answered for him, "I'm Rachel! I was just helping him with his jaw." The female nodded, "I'm Emma, and this is my twin Cody…what happened to his jaw?" Rachel explained the fight and everything up until that point, "…And then you came in and asked about all this…and that's all!"

Emma smiled, "It seems you two had quite a little…um…adventure thing there, huh?" Rachel shrugged, "I dunno if you'd call it an adventure, but okay…" Cody chuckled, "Well, I know something's going on here!" He eyed Rachel and Buck, a big smirk clear on his face. The two blushed hard, so hard that it showed. "What do you mean by that?" Rachel asked.

Cody shrugged, "Nothin' really!" Rachel waved it off and changed the subject quickly, "So what do you want to do now, Buck? Considering you're my first real friend here, I'll do anything!" For once, a bright, painless smile glowed on Buck's face. There was a small click and Buck hopped down and hugged Rachel. "Thank you! So much!" Rachel blushed, "What I do?" He chuckled, "You gave me a friend…cuz only a true friend would want ta do somethin' with me that I would want ta do too…thank you! You've made me so much happier!"

Rachel smiled and hugged him back, her brown tail wagging behind her. She knew things around here would be better from now on. She could stay with Buck, her new friend and maybe more, and she could go on adventures, and be happy that she had someone to spend time with…instead of being alone~


	5. Chapter 5

**What Could've Happened**

**The Ice Age Versions**

**By Jinney**

(Disclaimers: I do not own Ice Age or Buck! Only his siblings, Rachel, the OCs, and this story are mine! Story Idea Inspired by IceAgeLover4Ever on deviantART! Dedicated to my fellow Ice Age/Buck Loving Fans! Okay! Read on!)

(5)

"Buuuuuuuuuuuck!" Rachel called out. She had just finished lunch and went out to seek out her best friend. It had been three and a half years since Buck and Rachel had become friends, and Rachel personally had grown, deep down, loving feelings for Buck. She just wouldn't admit it to herself. Ever since she had met Buck, Rachel was happier. They went on miniature adventures, rescuing each other and just having fun. Now the thirteen-year-old and eleven-year-old's friendship was off the charts. So even though Rachel had those special feelings, she didn't want to ruin their friendship.

"Buck! Where are you?" Rachel called again. No answer came for several minutes, but then, from a little distance away, Rachel heard voices. She followed it, peeking behind a rose bush, careful not to prick herself on the thorns. Her eyes located where the voices were coming from and she gasped quietly at the sight in front of her.

Buck was talking to another female weasel. She was a rather pretty female: beautiful blue eyes, nice and well groomed brownish-red fur, a cute smile, long and flowing hair, and a nicely groomed tail that was currently wagging as she talked to Buck. She looked so innocent as she kept her arms behind her back in a shy manner. The rest of her posture was very elegant.

Rachel raised a brow. What was going on? She listened in as Buck spoke, "Yeah! I'll show ya 'round! It's a pretty big area. And there are some rocky terrains too, so ya got ta be careful there too. I was supposed ta meet my best friend Rachel, but I'm sure she won' mind if I show ya 'round real quick!" The female's eye twitched when he talked about Rachel, and that made the fweaset suspicious. She was up to something! Rachel decided to follow them and stay hidden.

They went first to the forest area. "The view is amazin' if you go to the top o' the trees!" The girl smiled brightly, "Can we go up then?" Buck nodded, "'Course we can, Annie! You lead the way!" She only nodded as she used her claws to climb up. But at one point, she slipped and Buck had to catch her. "Thank you, Buck…" He only nodded with a smile. Rachel knew she had done that on purpose, and that only made the fweaset feel angrier inside.

When they reached the top, Annie gasped happily, "You were right! It is amazing!" Buck chuckled, "Yeah, it is truly amazin'! I come 'ere with Rachel all the time! We sometimes like ta jumping from tree ta tree and see who could go faster! We are so evenly matched that sometimes she'd an' other times I would!" Annie seemed to be getting annoyed with the constant chatter about Rachel. So she changed the subject.

"Where to next?" She asked with a smile. So they went to the rock terrain next. Rachel watched angrily as Annie slipped on purpose, allowing Buck to catch her. "Woah there! Be careful!" She laughed with fake nervousness, "Sorry about that!" He waved it off. "No problem at all!" She smiled.

They went to several other sites: the stream where Buck and Rachel had first met, the regular watering hole, the snow-covered hill where kids usually went sledding, and more until they finally got to the flower garden. And this is where Annie made her move…

"It's beautiful here, Buck!" Annie exclaimed, as she looked around at all the flowers. Then she took her eyes off the flowers and turned to Buck. "Thank you so much…you truly are a sweetie." Buck gave his usual crooked grin that had developed after Wild had messed up his jaw. She smiled, her eyelids lowering, making her look even more beautiful. _She's so fake!_ Rachel thought as the tears welled up. But she held them back as watched. _Is he really that oblivious?_

"Say…do you want to play truth or dare?" Annie asked in a hushed and sexy voice. Buck's smile vanished as he thought about this. He shrugged, "Sure…I guess! But don' ya need more people!" She shrugged, "No…we're enough!" He shrugged as they sat down. "I'll start," Annie began. "Truth or Dare?"

Buck shrugged, "Uh…Truth?" She smiled, "Have you ever **loved** anyone?" Buck blinked. Then he said, "Uh…kinda, I do now!" Annie nodded and Buck started, "Truth or Dare?" Annie didn't hesitate, "Dare!" Buck looked away, deep in thought. "I DARE you to…sing 'If You're Happy And You Know It'!" Annie blinked in surprise. "Huh?" He only shrugged, "I couldn' think of anythin' good! Sorry!"

She sighed and stood up and began to sing while clapping, "If you're happy and you know it, clap you're hands! If you're happy and you know it and you really wan to show it! If you're happy and you know it, clap your hands!" She sat back down. "There!" Buck stared for a few moments. "That was beautiful singing!" Annie smiled, "I major in singing, so I sing a lot!" Buck laughed, "Then I guess I picked the right Dare!" She smiled and nodded.

The game went on. Buck kept picking Truth while Annie stayed on Dare. Annie's questions were, "How old are you?" (13) "What's your favorite color?" (Blue) "If you could change your life, what would it be like?" (More adventure!) She kept asking more random stuff. And Buck kept Daring her to do random stuff. But finally the moment came.

"Truth or Dare?" Annie asked. Buck chuckled, "Well, considerin' I've done Truth the whole time, why not Dare fer once?" She smirked and sat up, "Okay, I dare you to kiss me?" Rachel just stared, beyond horrified. Buck just stared too, but his expression only showed confusion. "Why?" Annie blinked, and then grit her teeth ever so slightly, "It's a game! You're supposed to do that!"

Buck sighed and came closer. Rachel couldn't take it as she burst into tears and ran away, not being able to bare the fact that the one she had come to love was about to kiss someone else. But little did she know what happened after that... Buck turned slightly to the sound of fading running footsteps. He recognized those footsteps too well and stopped. He knew what he had to do…he had known all along.

He sighed, closed his eyes, and sat straight. Annie opened her eyes, which had closed as she expected the kiss. She cocked her head to the side slightly as she put on her innocent act. "What? What's wrong? I told you it's just a game!" Buck opened his eyes, "No…it's more than just a game…and you an' I both know it!" She said nothing, so Buck continued, "Fakin' kindness won' get ya anywhere…at least not with someone who knows yer doing it…I played yer game and ended up hurting someone in the process. I can only hope I can fix it! But it's game over for you, missy!"

He stood up and began to walk past, but Annie wasn't going to take that. "Wait!" He stopped as she got and tried to get to him, but he moved away. "You touch me and you'll regret it…yer not the one who I was referrin' to when I said I loved someone!" Annie glared a little as she asked harshly, "Who then?" Buck didn't answer as he turned away and ran in the direction that Rachel had run.

He wasn't going to lose his first and best friend now…


	6. Chapter 6

**What Could've Happened**

**The Ice Age Versions**

**By Jinney**

(Disclaimers: I do not own Ice Age or Buck! Only his siblings, Rachel, the OCs, and this story are mine! Story Idea Inspired by IceAgeLover4Ever on deviantART! Dedicated to my fellow Ice Age/Buck Loving Fans! Okay! Read on!)

(6)

Rachel sat on a rock in forest, crying quietly though millions of tears were streaking down her cheeks. _How could he do that with a girl he just met?_ Rachel thought. _She is so fake…_ Rachel sniffed, "Why do guys always go for the girls who are like that? They always go for the girls who are so perfect and sweet on the outside but are little devils on the inside…they go after the guys just because they are good-looking!" She sniffed again.

"I'm glad yer not like that!" Rachel turned as Buck walked up and sat next to her on the rock. "Where's your new girlfriend?" Buck sighed, "I will 'ave ya know that she's not my girlfriend…not even close! And she's not replacin' you either. Just like she was fakin' kindness, I was fakin' stupidity…I knew what she was up to from the start…I played her game until it was time ta tell 'er off, which is exactly what I did! I **can't** love a girl like that!"

Rachel finally looked up at Buck, "Then who were thinking of when you said you loved someone?" Buck smiled crookedly, turning to face Rachel completely. His crooked smile was so adorable and it melted Rachel heart…or what was left of it. Buck placed a hand on Rachel's cheek, "Rachel…_you_ are the only one I could ever Love…" It was those words that healed Rachel's heart completely. She smiled hopefully, "Really? You mean that?" Buck chuckled, "'Course I do!"

And with that, they came together in the first kiss between them. Not only was it a first kiss for them, this kiss was the only kiss either of them had ever had in their lives…and there'd be plenty more to come~

From that point on, Buck and Rachel considered each other as young mates. Most of Buck's siblings had been happily expecting this, especially Cody. The other siblings were Emma, Alice, Cedric, and Jack. The only ones who didn't quite like it were Ben and Buck's father Jonathan. But thankfully, Buck's mother, Amelia talked Jonathan into allowing it. So the young weasel and fweaset became young mates…


	7. Chapter 7

What Could've Happened

**The Ice Age Versions**

**By Jinney**

(Disclaimers: I do not own Ice Age or Buck! Only his siblings and parents, Rachel, the OCs, and this story are mine! Story Idea Inspired by IceAgeLover4Ever on deviantART! Dedicated to my fellow Ice Age/Buck Loving Fans! Okay! Read on!)

(7)

Rachel laughed enthusiastically. She and Buck had just won a game of dodgeball against Wild and his gang. The fweaset and weasel were always good at teamwork and at the game in general, so it was easy to win against the big and slow gang members. The two had won 10 to 2. It was 'sad' really!

Now that the game was over, the teams went their separate ways: the gang went to their underground rock hideout; Buck and Rachel went to their own **Secret Hideout** in the Evergreen forest. The forest hideout had been constructed less than four months ago, and was known only to the two of them. No one had asked, so no one knew.

Buck and Rachel had been young mates for six months. They enjoyed coming down to their hideout whenever they wanted to be alone. The two had their romance, which mostly consisted of cuddling and smooching, but not much else. They never went too far, even though there was a moment at one point where they were both on the ground in a loving embrace…and smooching.

But Buck and Rachel shared a dream: To go on a _real_ adventure and have real fun! But seeing as they were too young – Buck being thirteen, almost fourteen, and Rachel being eleven, almost twelve – they didn't have that choice…just yet. So every day, the two went on mini adventures, sometimes annoying others, like Wild's gang, Annie's new clique, and some adults. But these were only a few on that list.

However, some saw them as heroic adventurers. But to the team of two, it just wasn't always enough. The two did the same thing every day, and it was starting to get really old. Finally, they had had enough, and finally made a decision and a plan.

"So we're finally gonna run away!?" Rachel asked with eagerness and enthusiasm. Buck nodded with a crooked smile. He pointed to a map carved in a rock, "We'll be goin' north 'til we come ta the plains. There are sabers there, so that should be fun! Then we'll go maybe ta some caves for some excitement. There are several other places we can go, but they're unknown for now."

Rachel smiled, "Ohhhh! I can't wait!" Her expression suddenly changed, "But what about our families?" Buck sighed, "We can't tell 'em er else they'll stop us…" Rachel nodded, "I'll miss them…" Buck smiled crookedly yet sympathetically as he put a hand on her shoulder. "We'll see 'em again, I'm sure!" Rachel smiled, "I hope so!"

The two packed up the next day. But like they suspected, when their families found out, they were not happy. "I will not lose one of my babies!" Amelia held Buck, nuzzling her son's head. "You are staying here, baby! And don't even think about going at night!" Rachel's mother nodded, "No daughter of mine will run away! And that's final! I don't want to hear of this again!"

But the two were persistent and decided to go at night. The two packed up again – their parents had made them unpack – and left their homes, meeting each other near their hideout. "Ready?" Buck as his mate, holding out his hand. Rachel smiled and took his hand, "You know it!" He smiled crookedly as they began. But before they could take their first step, there was interference.

"NOT SO FAST!" The two turned to their families. Buck glared, "Ya can't stop us! We're leavin' this boring place fer a reason! We want real adventure and fun! We can't find that 'ere!" Rachel nodded as she added, "And besides, we'll come back…alive! We'll visit!" Amelia growled, "You're not leaving!"

Buck turned to Rachel, "Trees…just like we practiced!" Rachel nodded as they began to climb up separate trees. Then, at the top, they jumped from tree to tree, their family running after them on the ground. But the two were too fast and after they had called back loudly, "Good Bye!" They were gone~


	8. Chapter 8

What Could've Happened

**The Ice Age Versions**

**By Jinney**

(Disclaimers: I do not own Ice Age or Buck! Only his siblings and parents, Rachel, the OCs, and this story are mine! Story Idea Inspired by IceAgeLover4Ever on deviantART! Dedicated to my fellow Ice Age/Buck Loving Fans! Okay! Read on!)

(8)

The two ran as fast as they could until they were sure that their parents were left behind. Buck sighed, "Okay…now we're free! Let's go a little further and then we'll rest!" Rachel nodded as she followed him, both out of breath, further north of their old home. The two reached a cave and sat down within it's protecting arms. Soon, the two had fallen asleep, Rachel in Buck's arms, against the cave walls.

All was silent and still, and the two fell asleep immediately~

The next day came, and the sun was already up and shining outside when the two came out of the cave. Buck sighed as he stretched his body, "Where first?" Rachel shrugged, "What do you think?" Buck smirked his usual crooked smirk. It almost made Rachel giggle. Buck looked around quickly, his crooked smirk growing bigger.

"How about sabers!" He suggested. Rachel's smile brightened, "That sounds fun!" He chuckled, "That's my girl! Let's have some FUN!" And the two took off in the direction Buck knew the sabers would be. The fight with the sabers was amazing! The two had started off by faking trying to steal their long saber teeth, just to wake them up and lure them into their trap. And that's when the real fun began!

It seemed like every day after that, for two weeks, they had been up to the same thing: getting into trouble and avoiding being killed. They always avoided death. But soon enough it came to be Buck's fourteenth birthday and for a celebration, they would ride sabers, something they hadn't before.

"Oh boy! I can't wait!" Rachel exclaimed. Ever since she had met Buck, she had become as fearless as he was. Her only fear now…was losing him. As the long as the two were together they could do anything. But what would happen if they weren't together? Well…

Later in the day of Buck's fourteenth birthday, the two were still riding sabers when it happened. One of them shook her off and she fell off, screaming. Buck gasped and tried to reach for her, but the sabers were already grabbing her and dragging her away. After that, Buck lost control of the saber he was on and fell. The saber hissed and went after their pack, which was dragging Rachel away.

Buck stared after them for a moment, horrified, before running after them. Buck felt his tears streaming down his face as he ran. He couldn't keep up thanks to his short legs, so they easily lost him. He was now alone! They had taken away the one and only being he could ever love.

"Nooooooo!" Buck cried out as he fell to the ground. Clouds had now formed and it had begun to pour large raindrops so that it was than a minute before Buck was drenched. You couldn't tell now if he was crying or if it was just the rain. But now it didn't matter…he would do whatever it took to get his mate back!

Whatever it took…to be with her again!


	9. Chapter 9

**What Could've Happened**

**The Ice Age Versions**

**By Jinney**

(Disclaimers: I do not own Ice Age or Buck! Only his siblings and parents, Rachel, the OCs, and this story are mine! Story Idea Inspired by IceAgeLover4Ever on deviantART! Dedicated to my fellow Ice Age/Buck Loving Fans! Okay! Read on!)

(9)

Rachel moaned. She had been dragged so far and had been eventually been knocked unconscious. She slowly opened her and moaned again as her head throbbed. She moved her hand to where it hurt as she sat up. Her head hurt so badly where it had it the ground so much. She cringed as the pain came and then went, and then came again.

"Oh! You're awake! Oh good! The boys didn't kill you!" Rachel looked up to a female saber. The saber smiled sympathetically. "You're going to be okay…I won't let the boys hurt you…they don't understand games, do they?" Rachel shook her head. The fweaset looked around curiously. She was now in a cave with several ledges made of rocks, probably beds for the several sabers.

"Where am I?" Rachel asked. The saber looked around as she explained, "You're in our home. I'm the mother, Crystal! I have my mate, Grey! We have our sons Tower, Gaar and Geer, and Gash. And finally we have our only daughter, Ember. But it's good to finally have another girl here…Ember's lonely and I thought that if we kept you for a while so you could heal, you may be able to help her."

Rachel smiled and nodded, "Thank you for your help. For your kindness, I'll do just that! Oh! I'm Rachel! I'm a fweaset, or a ferret-weasel mix!" Crystal nodded, "Hi Rachel! Thank you…if you need anything, tell me!" Rachel smiled brighter, about to reply to that when her stomach growled. Crystal giggled quietly as Rachel blushed under her fur. "I guess you need some food! I hope you like berries!" Rachel nodded. As the fweaset followed her new saber-savior, she wondered how mate was…poor Buck!

Buck had been crying all day. He hadn't gotten much sleep as he kept searching. He couldn't get any scents after the storm because the scents were all washed away. He sighed and sniffed. He had never been upset and cried like this before…but then again he had never been away from Rachel like this…or at least not after he'd become friends with her, and soon her mate. He loved her and couldn't stand being without her…

"I can't give up…" Buck whispered out loud. "I need ta try 'arder…I will **NOT** lose her!" He stood up and went back out into the open land. He would find her no matter how hard it would be. He would find her…or die trying~

"Ember! Ember? You there, Sweetie!" There was a grumble from inside the next room of the Saber's cave, and then there was a noise that sounded like someone shifting into a different position. Crystal walked forward with Rachel right behind. Now that the fweaset wasn't so hungry anymore, she could see a lot better thanks to having unclouded senses.

The room consisted of two ledges this time, probably for Crystal and Ember only, and near that was a hole of clean water. Near that was an exit out of the cave-like shelter of the Saber's home. As Rachel walked into the room, she smiled. It was nice and peaceful in here and the atmosphere was very pleasant.

On one of the ledges, on top of some leaves, was a saber that Rachel guessed must be Ember. "Ember! Get up now! I want you to meet someone!" The sleeping saber grumbled and sat up, "What do you want from–" Her sentence halted as she saw the fweaset standing beside her mother.

"Mom, what the heck is going on?" Crystal half smiled, "This is Rachel, the fweaset or ferret-weasel mix! She's going to be with us for a while so that she can recover from her little adventure with your brothers. I want you to be nice to her! She's offered to be your new friend…so be nice!"

Ember grumbled, "I don't need a new friend! I don't need anyone! So just go away!" Rachel knew what Ember was going through. She knew that Buck would have known too! It was the way they both were before they had met. They were both alone, Rachel when she lost her friends and some family from the avalanche, and Buck who had never really had a friend ever.

"Now Ember! Please, just give Rachel a chance!" Rachel took her chance, "Ember, I understand you completely!" Ember looked at the fweaset and laughed, "Oh really? Tell me!" Rachel explained, "You are so alone because you had no one to go to for help from the very beginning! But everyone needs to find that kind of being who can help him or her. I found that in my weasel mate, Buck! Now that I've lost him, I don't know what to do! I hope to become better friends so that I'm able to trust you, and so you can trust me! I don't want to push you into telling me anything! I just want to help you!"

The speech definitely did it. The saber looked at the fweaset in a new way. She saw that Rachel had the same problem, and the same heart as she did. So, slowly but finally, Ember smiled, "Thank you! That means a lot that you understand! Fine…for the time being, I'll be your friend. We'll see where that takes us! Who knows…you might be the 'friend' I've truly needed!"

Rachel smiled, "Yup! I'm looking forward to know you better!" Ember smiled, "Right back at ya!"


	10. NOT A CHAPTER: SORRY!

Dear Readers:

I will not be continuing this story. I am currently outside the interest level of this fandom. I am truly sorry, but I'm working on other things. Please look at my profile to find out what I'm currently working on.

Thank you,

RTNightmare (Rachel)


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